Education

Masters of Science in Engineering, Product Design: Stanford University 2005
Bachelors of Fine Arts in Design and Creative Technologies: University of Texas at Austin 1998
Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering: University of Texas at Austin 1998

Biography

Wayne K. Li is the James L. Oliver Professor, holding a joint position between the Colleges of Design and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. He leads joint teaching initiatives and advances interdisciplinary collaboration between mechanical engineering and industrial design through classes and the Innovation and Design Collaborative (IDC) and Design Bloc.

 Li's research areas include ethnographic research, multidisciplinary online education, and human-machine interaction in transportation design. His career spans industry and academia. Li has led innovation and market expansion for Pottery Barn seasonal home products, taught in Stanford University's design program, led interface development at Volkswagen of America's Electronics Research Laboratory, and developed corporate brand and vehicle differentiation strategies at Ford Motor Company. He has also worked as a product designer and mechanical engineer at IDEO Product Development. 

Li holds a Master of Science in Engineering from Stanford University, and undergraduate degrees in Fine Arts in Design and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He has additional continuing education in Industrial/Transportation Design from the College for Creative Studies. Li has been in his current role at Georgia Tech since Fall 2010, while also operating as a principal design consultant through Wayne Li Design since the same time.

Statement of Teaching Interest

Wayne K. Li is the James L. Oliver Professor, holding a joint position between the Colleges of Design and Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. He leads joint teaching initiatives and advances interdisciplinary collaboration between engineering and industrial design through the ID Minor program and the Innovation and Design Collaborative (IDC) aka "Design Bloc". Prof. Li serves as Director of the ID Minor Program.

Statement of Research Interest

Prof. Li has three main research interests: 

1. User Interface / Experience Design: Focused on the interplay of physical hardware / software as pertains to hard goods (transportation, products, sustainable technologies, etc.)
2. Ethnographic techniques using User Insights & Data Analytics: this area often involves customer experiences in the design of transportation, complex databases & the human contexts that drive them
3. Connected Interdisciplinary Education: Advancing multi-disciplinary education in engineering and design through connected platforms, shared pedagogy and spaces.